BMC vaccination drive at Beggars’ Home, Social Equity Centre

Bhubaneswar: Keeping its philosophy of inclusiveness and well-being for all sections of the society during the pandemic, vaccination drive by the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has targeted special groups across the city. 

The urban local body of the Temple City today completed vaccination of 68 inmates of Ekamra Nilaya, the Beggars’ Home, situated at K8 area of Kalinga Nagar under South West Zone of BMC.

Special group vaccination is on priority basis of BMC with instructions of Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Singh. The drive here started at 9 am and completed around 11.30 am today.

BMC’s new initiative of establishing beggars’ home recently has 70 inmates now out of its 100 bed capacity. It’s worth mentioning here that most of the inmates are “persons with disability” (PWD) and even most of them have multiple disabilities.

“Inoculation for such a challenged group is an ethical responsibility”, said Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Singh.

“We will complete vaccination of all eligible members of the special groups under BMC in collaboration with Health and Family Welfare Department and the service providers,” he added.

In the vaccination camp at K8, the team of South West Zone of BMC was led by the Zonal Deputy Commissioner, Ravinarayan Jethi and the Health team together. Each of the beneficiaries was counseled with the support of service provider’s mobilizing team of Odisha Patita Udhar Samiti (OPUS).

After vaccination, the inmates were monitored for side effects if any. However, no such side effects were found in the camp.

In another special event today, 65 inmates of Social Equity Centre (SEC) at Kharvel Nagar have also been vaccinated. In presence of Zonal Deputy Commissioner South East Zone Ansuman Ratha and the Health team, the drive started at 9.30 am. Mobilization team of OPUS supported preparing the beneficiaries before the vaccination process, which continued for two and half hours.

The SEC having 100 bed capacities is a special center for daily laborers and urban homeless. Presently, there are 85 inmates who are provided food, shelter and health check-up facilities at the center. It can be mentioned here that out of eight of shelter for urban homeless (SUHs) in the city, the SEC is also treated as a SUH. 

Inmate at Beggars’ Home (Ekamra Nilaya) Pravat Pradhan said, “I am practicing COVID appropriate behavior, I am thankful to the Civic body for the vaccination.”

Turiya Ready (72) a female inmate of SEC said, “I was rescued from Ram Mandir. The center is looking after my food and shelter. I am thankful to BMC for providing me vaccine against the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Avarani Choudhury, founder of OPUS and operating partner of SEC and Beggars’ Home extended her thankfulness to BMC for taking such timely step to help the urban homeless.